OPINION
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would be wise to hand playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri a rare start against Barcelona on Tuesday night.
The Swiss star has been strangely uninvolved over the second half of the season, but claimed a vital assist off the bench against Newcastle United on Saturday.
He must start in the Champions League semi final second leg, with the Reds’ 3-0 defeat in Spain meaning they have nothing to lose here. Georginio Wijnaldum should drop out for the former Stoke City star, while Dejan Lovren and Daniel Sturridge must also make way for Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino.
Those should be the only changes the German makes for this monster clash, but they could be enough for his team to achieve the impossible at Anfield.
Barca will inevitably look to score on the counter attack on Tuesday, and so Alisson must keep his place ahead of Simon Mignolet between the sticks. Andrew Robertson, meanwhile, is an absolute must-start at left back.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was sensational against the Magpies and should start at right back once again here as the Reds go all out for victory. Matip needs to be preferred to Lovren who was uninspired on Saturday, with Virgil van Dijk an obvious starter alongside him.
In central midfield, Shaqiri has to get the nod, as mentioned. His creativity will be required if Liverpool are to pull off the upset. Alongside him, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson should get the nod after impressing in the first leg.
Up front, it’s time to risk Firmino. He has a niggling injury of course, and was absent from the match day squad against Newcastle, but if he’s in any condition to play he must start here. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane should, of course, keep their places alongside him in attack.
